So being that the Bonster is from Mexico, she needs a coat. Ottawa winters can be dangerous, exhausting and downright chilly. Although snow has yet to fall on the ground over here, I don’t doubt for one second that it will soon be among us. While I sit here and fight my intense urge to hang the Christmas lights before the world is white and fluffy, I can’t help but think about what winter will be like for Bonnie.Bailey (our other dog) loves winter. She runs through over and thru the hills of snow with ease and a drop of comedy (it’s the ears bouncing in the wind that kill me). The beagle in her contributed to the limited dog fur she seems to have, making me one anxious mamma when she’s outside in the cold. Last winter was our first as dog owners, and I was convinced that she was going to freeze her little tushy off being out there in the cold. For those that have the luxury of living somewhere warm or luke warm during the winter months, you should know that Ottawa can be as cold as -40 degrees (Celsius). To put it in perspective, would you want to go outside in freezing weather completely naked? Exactly.

December in Ottawa- 2011. Yikes!

Smaller dogs have this unwritten rule about being allowed to wear clothing. It’s socially acceptable, and no one bats an eye at that tiny little Yorkie with a pink sequenced coat. Medium sized dogs on the other hand get that “Why is that dog wearing a jacket?” look the second someone sees them in their attire. We really do try to be as stealthy as we can about it. Heck, I went out and picked up the sportiest looking dog coat I could get my hands on. The reaction? Why is that dog wearing a jacket? I must be one of those owners.So each time this lovely little scenario plays out, I quickly pipe up that she’s from Mexico and isn’t fond of the Canadian weather. Then there’s a pause, immediately followed by “Wow. Mexico! How did she get here?”. And before I can think about how I need to get home and finish my ‘To Do’ list, I’m standing in the middle of the street talking about the story of getting Bonnie here.

Don’t get me wrong- I L.O.V.E. talking about my pets. So much so, I’ve written this blog. But we’ve all had those days where our brain is buzzing with the impending list of things to get finished and we can’t mentally take on the task of long explanations to outside parties. I’m sure there have been moments where these innocent bystanders are taken back by my “She’s Mexican. Came here on a plane. She’s cold. Got a coat” explanation, and instantly regret their decision to comment on my dog. And when I finally hit the couch to relax I look back and feel terrible about being so crude to these random people, I make a mental note to be the friendliest neighbor EVER next time I see them. I make a vow to bake muffins, and carry them with me at the ready to offer to the neighbors I was so rude to. But let’s face it, I bake the muffins, we end up eating them all and I am still in debt to karma. C’est la vie, I suppose.In the meantime I’ve opted to come up with a few different explanations as to why Bonnie has a coat. All of these reasons are neither true, nor feasible. They are however, hilarious.

-she is actually part turtle and is considerably sick without a shell. The vet strongly recommended we purchase a dog coat as a substitute, a theory we are currently testing.

-she’s on loan from Reece Witherspoon and like her owner, is a celebrity. Reece contacted us via email asking if we could provide a home for this A-list dog, which include meeting the star worthy list of demands. As you can imagine, wearing a fleecy coat in this weather is completely understandable for a celebrity dog.

-Each morning we found her curled up asleep in the closet. At night she would push the kitchen chair over to the closet and quietly pulled up each and every coat. She would cry out while we preparing to leave for work, casually tossing our coats onto ourselves. After consulting with a pet psychic, they informed us that Bonnie wanted nothing more in life than her own coat.

-She is a part of a dog gang called ‘The Freezing Fidos’. They are easily distinguished by their fleecy gang coats.

Lee has a coat. She needs so much exercise and is short furred so we got her one. She hates it, but it allows her to get the exercise she needs without freezing! Don't know about Phod yet. We will see how he does!

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I am the proud owner of Rascal, Zoe, Bailey and Bonnie. These animals not only keep our lives exciting, they also remind me every day the joys of living with pets.Picture courtesy of elizabeth&jane photography